A limit analysis approach for masonry domes: the basilica of San Francesco di Paola in Naples

The object of the present study is the basilica of San Francesco di Paola, an historical structure that well lends itself to use the graphic method of statics to analyse its stability for a two-fold reason: on the one hand, it is an interesting structure being dominated by a dome of considerable size with a solid appearance, and on the other, it is an entirely masonry structure for which no consolidation interventions with different materials have been necessary so far. This paper applies limit analysis based on the geometric equilibrium of the dome starting from detailed surveys of the church, from the knowledge of its history construction to the comprehension of the entire building. The study carried out enriches previous researches developed around the same case study, and the new contribution is integrated by the analysis of stability of the buttress system that completes the work on the vertical loads, providing a more detailed assessment of the safety level of the structure.